LIVERPOOL'S NEW OMNIBUS.
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A Body with a Passenger-carrying Capacity of 55, All Being Completely Protected from Inclement Weather.
MORE AND MORE attention is being paid to the question of constructing suitable bodies for motor omnibuses. The old standard London omnibus holds 34 people ; then we had the L.G.O.C. K-type holding 46; whilst:the latest bus, which is that adopted by the Liverpool Corporation and built on an A.E.C. chassis, has accommodation for 55 passengers. In addition to being considerably larger, much greater attention has been paid to the question of protecting the passengers during inclement weather, as the upper deck is roofed in and provided with glass windov,rs, which can be dropped sufficiently to provide good ventilation. Patent front and rear wheel lifeguards designed by Mr. Mallins are also provided. They are carried by forwardly-projecting brackets mounted on the axles, thus eliminating the height variations which occur when guards are fitted to the frame of the chassis.
A fixed clearance can be given between the road and the lower edges of the &uards, but means of adjustment are provided to allow for tyre wear. The wheels are protected at any angle.
It will be interesting to observe the effect of increasing the body accommodation to such a great extent without the provision of extra entrances or exits to facilitate the picking op and dropping down of passengers. Even with the old 34-seater omnibus, a great deal of time is lost at the stopping places owing to the congestion caused by the meeting of the stream of people descending the staircase and that leaving the interior of the vehicle. Perhaps this loss of time does not matter so ninth in Liverpool where the traffic congestion is nothing like so great as it is in the centre of Louden.
A noticeable feature is that the driver is adequately protected from the weather, his seat being entirely enclosed and doors being fitted at each side. Accommodation for three passengers is also provided at the side of the driver.
The total interior accommodation is 28, whilst the remaining 27 passengers are carried on the top of the bus, three on a seat facing the staircase, 20 back
to back on a doable teat which runs longitudinally down the centre of the upper deck, and four on a. seat which follows the contour of the front end of the upper deck. The interior seats are of the garden type provided with wood slats. The timber used in the body is mainly oak.
The top of the 13-u is strengthened by three stanchions so situated that they do not impede the passengers.
To keep the centre of gravity as low as possible, the roof of' the upper deck is very light in weight and constructed chiefly of Dmalumin, which is covered with proofed canvas to render it watertight. Both the upper deck and the roof project over the driver's seat, which also has a small canopy. The length of the step is 3 ft. 9 ins., which compares rather irnfavonrahly with that on the new L.G.O.C. K-type, particidsrly considering the congestion at this point which may be caused by the extra Passenger accommodation.
In addition to the protection already afforded to the interior passengers, a sliding door is also prokisled at the rear.
The total length of the interior portion of the body-is 17 ft. 92 ins., without taking into. consideration the length of the conductor's platform. The length of the upper deck is 22 ft. 3 ins., as passengers ase.also carried above the conductor's platform. A sliding door is also fitted to the topâ– deci, porliee-: this door is 2 ft. 'wide, whilst that for the interior 'of the vehicle has a width of 1 ft. 11 ins. The Enverall width, of the body at its widest point is 7 ft. 4 ins. Theliconsinctor is protected By a dash also constructed of Duralmnin, and reaching round the lower portion of the staircase as far as the offside of the body.